


When The Doctor Dances

by SmokyCinnamonRoll



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Self Harm, Nonbinary eleventh doctor, Two’s handshake? Adorable., a lot of unexplained things, eleven doesn’t bother with giving themself a name, nonbinary second Doctor, three and two not liking each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-02
Updated: 2018-07-02
Packaged: 2019-06-01 07:48:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15138485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmokyCinnamonRoll/pseuds/SmokyCinnamonRoll
Summary: The younger of the two doctors is playing music for them, and even if they still hate the way they look, and hate existing, not all things are bad.Or, two and three are running around at unit, and eleven is there, but not for a good reason.





	1. silence isn’t always nice

**Author's Note:**

> My writing is like... really strange and disjointed sometimes?  
> But I guess since it’s a doctor who thing you can just attribute it to the doctor being the doctor.  
> Also lmk if two’s pronouns are different from what they should be, I was tired and having two nb characters in the same fic got very confusing

They’re just wearing a short sleeved shirt and jeans, and it doesn’t really feel right, but the doctor assures them that they look fine.  
The doctor also mentioned that his younger self was running about, and that his younger self was quite annoying.  
They look up as someone walks in the room, and they see short, messy hair, a coat that’s just barely oversized, and a recorder in hand.  
All they can really do for the first minute is stare, because they were so young then, and sometimes so... scared of things. That was when it all started, they supposed. The biting and cutting and hurting.  
But they didn’t really feel much now. Just empty.  
“Hello! Who are you?” Comes the curious and energetic voice, and before they can properly process what’s happening, their second face rushes up and shakes their hand.  
...they’d forgotten about that handshake, and they had to admit, it was rather adorable.  
“I... didn’t he tell you?” They say. It’s shaky, perhaps too much, and quiet. (They’re still getting used to this talking thing again.)  
“Who?” Ze asks, and they laugh a little at the question. “Your older self. Gray hair, quite fond of his car?” They say, and realization flickers across zeir face. “Oh. Him. I don’t like him,” ze state with a frown and a small shake of zeir head.  
They smile, gently, they hope, and not too uncaring, and say “I know, rather too pompous at times. Loosens up later, though.” The last bit of their statement slips past before they can stop it, and the Doctor looks slightly more interested. “Oh? I take it you know him, then?” ze ask, the doctor’s question hanging in the air as their smile and carefully put together mask slips of their face.  
Ze doesn’t say much after that, and sits down on the bed with them. After a few minutes, ze starts to play zeir recorder. It’s an old tune to them, something they can’t quite place (but they think might be from Gallifrey.)  
They get up from the bed, carefully, then start a dance that only they can remember.  
And for a while, they’re lost in the music, making circles around the room, sometimes imagining that someone is there with them.  
Then the doctor hits a note that’s a touch out of place, and their world comes to an unexpected halt.  
A faint hum of a heartfelt apology at the back of their mind and they know what has just happened.  
Their perception filter has stopped working.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a headcanon that two will bite his arms when he’s worried sometimes  
> Also if you’re wondering why I’m referring to two as ‘he’ its because I don’t really know if two being nonbinary will be a recurring thing or not  
> Again, please let me know if two’s pronouns got mixed up, I was even more tired for this chapter.

They know they will not remember this, with their timestreams getting all mixed up and confused, but somewhere in the back of their mind, if they really try, they can remember an old time lord with a young face who always looked at them with the saddest eyes.  
And then the doctor finishes the song, but they hardly notice (the magic of it long gone.)  
They can feel zeir eyes on them. More specifically, on their scars, and it makes them uncomfortable.  
Nobody talked about these things on Gallifrey.  
They look over, only moving their head as far as they need to, and see a strange curiosity in the younger ones eyes.  
They feel it more than see it, really. And they know why it’s so different from the usual stares and questions they get. The normal ‘are you okays’ and awkward ‘I’m sorry’s’ were left behind for a single feeling, not even a question, really. Just a feeling. A strong feeling, that they didn’t know if it was spilling over into their thoughts, or if they were just remembering it.  
“Staring is kinda rude, Doctor.”  
It’s a statement. Not a ‘stop,’ or a ‘go away and leave me alone,’ just a statement.  
So the doctor keeps staring.  
Then a realization dawns on zem. “I... never told you my name?” ze asks, probably forgetting that time travel can make things get all mixed up.  
They tell zem as much, and ze looks embarrassed. “Well, I, I was kind of...” ze trails off, not wanting to say it.  
“I know. I felt it,” They say. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone,” they add on as ze opens zeir mouth to speak again.  
The two fall into an awkward silence, before they speak again.  
“I think you should go.”  
It’s soft, quiet, but they both know the finality of the statement.  
The doctor picks up zeir recorder and leaves them to their thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This (and the fic it’s technically for, which I don’t have up yet) was inspired by Home by clocketpatch, and two is there because why the hell not, I like two.


End file.
